System and method for interactive television

• US 20020088004A1
• Filed: 04/21/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Shigeharu, Kitsukawa, Tadamasa, Akiyama, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A system and method for interactive television (ITV) includes presenting both TV channels and “virtual channels” on an ITV. A virtual channel can be a Web page stored in memory of the ITV (or remote therefrom) and accessed by a microprocessor in the ITV when a user selects the virtual channel number using a conventional TV remote control. The particular Web page can be established based on consumer data, such as demographic data supplied by the consumer or consumer responses to prompts displayed along with a channel. The Web page associated with the virtual channel can be updated or changed by sending data to the ITV through the VBI of a TV signal or via the Internet, through a modem on the ITV.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a consumer to access the Internet using a television having at least one television tuner, comprising:

configuring the television to have plural television channels and at least one virtual channel, the virtual channel representing a Web page; and

periodically sending updates to the Web page to the television, such that the virtual channel is periodically updated thereby.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory within the television.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory remote from the television.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updates are sent via a DSL.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updates are sent via a cable modem line.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the updates are sent via at least one vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving consumer input via a conventional television control device;

using the input, establishing a consumer profile; and

using the consumer profile, establishing at least one virtual channel or updating at least one virtual channel on the television.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input is received and stored in memory inside the television at a first time, and then transmitted to a site remote from the television at a second time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of sending updates includes:

sending information pertaining to at least one update to the television; and

at the television, using the information to determine whether to download the update to the television.

35. The method of claim 7, wherein the consumer input is received in response to a prompt displayed on the ITV in a TV channel or virtual channel thereof.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein updates are sent via a wireless path.

10. A method for presenting television signals and Web pages on a single interactive television (ITV), comprising:

detecting television signals at a television tuner supported on the ITV;

in response to a user channel selection, presenting a television channel or a Web page on the ITV, the Web page being associated with a virtual channel; and

updating or changing the Web page associated with the virtual channel, such that a first version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a first time, and a second version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a second time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory within the ITV.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory remote from the ITV.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein updates to the Web page are sent via a DSL.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein updates to the Web page are sent via a cable modem line.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein updates to the Web page are sent via at least one vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television signal.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving consumer input via a conventional television control device;

using the input, establishing a consumer profile; and

using the consumer profile, establishing at least one virtual channel or updating at least one virtual channel on the ITV.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the input is received and stored in memory inside the ITV at a first time, and then transmitted to a site remote from the ITV at a second time.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of updating or changing includes:

sending information pertaining to at least one update to the ITV; and

at the ITV, using the information to determine whether to download the update to the ITV.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

updating or changing the Web page associated with the virtual channel, such that a first version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a first time, and a second version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a second time.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory within the ITV.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory remote from the ITV.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein updates to the Web page are sent via a DSL, or via a cable modem line, or via a wireless path, or via at least one vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television signal.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using the consumer input, establishing a consumer profile; and

using the consumer profile, establishing at least one virtual channel or updating at least one virtual channel on the ITV.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the input is received and stored in memory inside the ITV at a first time, and then transmitted to a site remote from the ITV at a second time.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of updating or changing includes:

sending information pertaining to at least one update to the ITV; and

at the ITV, using the information to determine whether to download the update to the ITV.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

updating or changing the Web page associated with the virtual channel, such that a first version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a first time, and a second version of the Web page is displayed via the virtual channel at a second time.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory within the ITV.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein content of the virtual channel is stored in memory remote from the ITV.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein updates to the Web page are sent via a DSL, or via a cable modem line, or via a wireless path, or via at least one vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television signal.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

using consumer input, establishing a consumer profile; and

using the consumer profile, establishing at least one virtual channel or updating at least one virtual channel on the ITV.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the input is received and stored in memory inside the ITV at a first time, and then transmitted to a site remote from the ITV at a second time.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the act of updating or changing includes:

sending information pertaining to at least one update to the ITV; and

at the ITV, using the information to determine whether to download the update to the ITV.

36. The method of claim 16, wherein the consumer input is received in response to a prompt displayed on the ITV in a TV channel or virtual channel thereof.

37. The method of claim 19, wherein the consumer input is received in response to a prompt displayed on the ITV in a TV channel or virtual channel thereof.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the consumer input is received in response to a prompt displayed on the ITV in a TV channel or virtual channel thereof.

40. The method of claim 10, wherein updates are sent via a wireless path.

19. A method for presenting TV channels and Web pages establishing virtual channels on an interactive TV (ITV), comprising:

receiving consumer input via a conventional TV control device;

establishing at least one virtual channel based at least in part on the consumer input; and

displaying either a TV channel or a virtual channel based on a user channel selection.

27. A method for presenting TV channels and Web pages establishing virtual channels on an interactive TV (ITV), comprising:

receiving consumer data;

establishing at least one virtual channel based at least in part on the consumer data; and

displaying either a TV channel or a virtual channel based on a consumer channel selection.